Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-02

morning of that mournful day there was a
cabinet meeting at which Gen. Grant was
present. Turning totem Grant during an in
| terval of general discussion Mr.. Lincoln ask
ed him il he had any news from Gen. Sher
man who was then confronting Johnston.
| The reply was in the negative, but the gen
eral added that he was in hourly expectation
| OF dispatch announcing Johnston's sur
render Mr.. Lincoln then with great inn
pressiveess said. 1--WE shall hear very soon;
and the news will he important
Gen. Grant asked him why he thought
so. Because said Mr.. Lincoln, II had
a dream last night; and ever since this war
began have had the same dreanm just be
| fore every event of great national impor
lance 1t portends some important event
that will happen very soon"
After this Mr.. Lincoln became unusually
cheerful In the afternoon he ordered
carriage for drive. Mrs. Lincoln asked
him if he wished any one to accompany
them. "No, Mary said he, II prefer
that we ride by ourselves to-day" Mrs.
Lincoln said afterward that she never saw
him look happier than he did during that
drive. In reply to a remark of hers to that
effect, made during that last drive. Mr..
Lincoln said, "And well may feel SOL Mary,
for | consider that this day the war has
come to Il close. Now we must try to be
more cheerful in the future; for between this
terrible war and the loss of cur darling son
we have suffered much misery Let us both
try to be happy"
History will record no censurc against
Mr.. Lincoln for believing, like -he first Ma
poleon, that lie was Il man of destiny, for
such he surely was, if the term is at ali adj
missblc in n philoSophic sense. And our
estimate of his greatness must be heightened
| 10y conceding the fact that he was believer
! in certain phases of the supernatural.
Assured as he undoubt dly was, by omens
which to his mind were conclusive, that he
would rise to greatness and power, he was
as firmly convinced, by the same tokens,
that he would be suddenly cut off, at the
height of his career and the fullness of his
fame. He always believed that he would
fall by the hand of an assassin: and yet,
with that appalling doom clouding his life
"a doom fixed and irreversible, as he was
firmly convinced-his courage never for II
moment forsook him, even in the most try
ing emergencies. Can greatness, courage
consistency in the pursuit of exalted aims be
tried by scverer test? He believe ed with
| Tennyson that
because rie Int is right, to follow right
Were wisdom i'll the sCOrn OF consequence
concerning preSentlments ana dreams Mr.
Lincoln had Philosophy oil ms own Whlch'
strange as 1t may appear, was III perfect mar
lnohy WIN ms character III an other respects
lie Wa' no dabDler III ulNlnatloh-asoroiogy
horoscope, prophecy, ghostly lore, or witch
cries of any sort. With Goethe he held that
nature can not 90 otherwise IMAM 90 llShu
eternally." Dreams and presentiments, in
/ i
MS judgment, are not Oh supernatural OH
GIN; that Is, they proceed III natural order,
tlelr essence beng superhuilah nuu hoo
ABOVE nature. Inc moving power ol dreams
anu VISIONS OF an extraordinary character lie
ascHlbed, as dld the Patrlarchs OF Oh, TO
universe tbeir processes conforming strictly
| - ,., - ..>r.,,,, :, Ill 10 49,
W haIurel laws Nature, salu ne, ID